Text message could prevents heart attack

Wearing your heart on your sleeve has long been thought of as something for young fools in love, but new research has shown it may save your life.

A Bluetooth heart monitor "” worn on your sleeve "” could text your local hospital if you are about to have a heart attack, according to research published in Inderscience's International Journal of Electronic Healthcare.

Thulasi Bai and SK Srivatsa of the Sathyabama University in Tamil Nadu have developed a wearable cardiac telemedicine system that allows post-cardiac patients more mobility, as the currently available methods of heart monitoring usually restrict the patients to a hospital or single room.

The prototype device measures electrical signals from the heart, analyses the signals to produce an electrocardiogram (ECG) and transmits the information via radio frequency to the patient's modified mobile phone.

The prototype uses the GSM network, operating at either the 900 or 1800 MHz frequency band. A disadvantage of the monitor is that it has to be within mobile range for operation.

The modified phone has an added analyser circuit that checks the ECG signal for signs of imminent cardiac failure. If errant signals are detected, such as any arrhythmia, the mobile phone alerts the patient and transmits a sample of the ECG signal to the nearest medical care centre via SMS, together with patient details.

When asked whether the text message sent by the monitor would also call an ambulance or whether it would require a separate call, Bai explained that there is still further work that has to done but that he hopes the monitor would be able to call an ambulance and that it would not require the patient to make a separate call.

"Our Wearable Cardiac Telemedicine System can help the mobility of patients, so they can regain their independence and return to an active social life or work schedule, thereby improving their psychological wellbeing and quality of life," said Bai.

The researchers are now working on how to enable GPS in the modified mobile phone, so that the medical centre can more quickly pinpoint the patient. They also hope to improve the level of detail that can be sent from the mobile phone to the emergency room using MMS as opposed to SMS.